Public Statements

Capito Statement on Fiscal Cliff

Statement

Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., released the following statement today after voting no on the Senate's unbalanced bill:

"Throughout the process, I have called for a balanced approach to addressing our nation's out-of-control spending and record deficit. There is nothing balanced about the bill passed by the Senate early this morning. The last-minute, haphazard process led to an unbalanced bill that includes no substantial reductions in spending and actually adds $3.9 trillion to our deficit.

"If Congress is going to ask more from taxpayers, it must also ask more from Washington in the form of belt tightening across the federal government. Failing to enact meaningful reforms and spending cuts would truly be unforgivable to future generations.

"I have voted consistently to preserve lower tax rates for all Americans. In July, I voted to prevent a tax increase for any taxpayer and also voted for the 2001 and 2003 bills that established the tax rates that expired today. I also supported meaningful tax reform to make the code simpler and fairer. In contrast, the Senate bill includes special interest tax provisions, including $248 million in tax loopholes for movie producers and $222 million for rum producers.

"Lastly, West Virginians are fed up with the constant bickering in Washington and the inability to get things done. The last-minute deals and constant back-and-forth create great uncertainty for families, for small businesses and for the global economy. It has to stop. As someone who believes in cooperation over partisanship, I will continue to listen to any and all ideas about how to get our economy back on track, people back to work and to reform our entitlement programs for future generations."